Experimental and computational study of the developed flow field in a flat plate integrated collector storage (ICS) solar device with recirculation

The flow structure in a flat plate integrated collector storage device, with recirculation of the storage water, is studied experimentally and theoretically. To facilitate flow visualization, an experimental device was constructed by transparent material (Plexiglas). Flow velocities and fluctuations are measured, using a LDV system. A three-dimensional CFD-model was developed using the FLUENT code. The standard k–ω model is selected as the most appropriate. The model is validated, with good agreement, against experimental measurements. Furthermore, copper tubes, in the form of embedded heat exchanger, are placed inside the device and another similar 3D model was developed. The model was used to examine the behavior of the system, when the service water enters the heat exchanger, thus being indirectly heated by the stored hot water. It is shown that the outlet temperature of the service water is enough higher, when recirculation occurs.     

Simultaneous convection and radiation in flow between two parallel plates

A numerical solution is described for simultaneous forced convection and radiation in flow between two parallel plates forming ahannel. The front plate is transparent to thermal radiation while the back one is thermally insulated. Analyses for both flow and heat are presented for the case of a non-emitting ‘blackened’ fluid. The governing equations of the stream function and the temperature together with their boundary conditions are presented in non-dimensional expressions. The solution is found to depend on eight dimensionless parameters, namely the ratio of the height of the channel to the distance between the plates, the initial dimensionless temperature, the optical thickness, the absorptivities of both plates, the Reynolds number, the Prandtl number and the heat transfer coefficient from the front plate to the surroundings. The numerical solution is obtained using a finite-difference technique. A study has been made of the effect of the initial temperature of the flow at the channel inlet, the dimensionless loss coefficient from the front plate, the absorptivity of the back plate and the optical thickness, on the temperature distribution in the channel, the heat collection efficiency and the average temperature rise in the channel. Results showed that increasing the optical thickness increases the temperature of the front plate and decreases the temperature of the back plate. Also, increasing the optical thickness increases the efficiency of heat collection, which reaches its maximum asymptotic value at an optical thickness of about 1.5. Moreover, the location of the maximum temperature is found to depend on both the optical thickness and the dimensionless heat loss coefficient from the front plate.     

Impinging sweeping jet and convective heat transfer on curved surfaces

The application of an impinging sweeping jet, which oscillates periodically with a large angle, to convective heat transfer has received attention owing to its capability to provide a more spatially uniform and enhanced heat removal rate when compared to a steady jet. Herein, we study how the surface curvature affects the heat transfer performance of a sweeping jet and couple it with the representative flow characteristics. Heat transfer measurement and quantitative flow visualization are conducted experimentally for concave and convex surfaces as well as a flat surface. Whereas concave surfaces have a better heat transfer rate than a flat surface, the enhancement of the heat transfer is relatively small for a convex surface. For both concave and convex surfaces, the Nusselt number does not increase monotonically with the curvature magnitude but has a peak for a moderate curvature. The variation in heat transfer performance with the surface curvature is correlated with the phase-averaged velocity profile of the wall jet deflected after an impingement and the turbulence kinetic energy inside the jet. For both concave and convex surfaces, the wall jet becomes thinner than a flat surface in general, which contributes to improved heat transfer. However, whereas the turbulence kinetic energy is significantly larger for a concave surface of a moderate curvature than that of a flat surface, the turbulence kinetic energy for a convex surface is reduced from that of a flat surface, resulting in degradation of the heat transfer performance.     

Heat transfer augmentation between impinging circular air jet and flat plate using finned surfaces and vortex generators

An experimental investigation is performed to study the effect of the finned surfaces and surfaces with vortex generators on the local heat transfer coefficient between impinging circular air jet and flat plate. Reynolds number is varied between 7000 and 30,000 based on the nozzle exit condition and jet to plate spacing between 0.5 and 6 nozzle diameters. Thermal infrared imaging technique is used for the measurement of local temperature distribution on the flat plate. Fins used are in the form of cubes of 2 mm size spaced at a pitch of 5 mm on the target plate and hexagonal prism of side 2.04 mm and height of 2 mm spaced at a pitch of 7.5 mm. Vortex generators in the form of a equilateral triangle of side 4 mm are used. Effect of number of rows of vortex generators, radius of a row, number of vortex generators in a row and inclination angle (i.e., the angle between the plane of the target plate and the plane of the vortex generators) on Nusselt number is studied. It is observed that the heat transfer coefficient between the impinging jet and the target plate is sensitive to the shape of the fin. The increase in the heat transfer coefficient up to 77% depending on the shape of the fin, nozzle plate spacing and the Reynolds number is observed. The augmentation in the heat transfer for the surfaces vortex generators are higher than that of the finned surfaces. The heat transfer augmentation in case of vortex generator is as high as 110% for a single row of six vortex generators at a radius of 1 nozzle diameter as compared to the smooth surface at a given nozzle plate spacing of 1 nozzle diameter and a Reynolds number of 25,000 at extreme radial location.     

Heat transfer enhancement for laminar natural convection along a vertical plate due to sub-millimeter-bubble injection

Sub-millimeter-bubble injection is one of the most promising techniques for enhancing heat transfer for the laminar natural convection of liquids. However, flow and heat transfer characteristics for laminar natural convection of water with sub-millimeter bubbles have not yet been fully understood. The purpose of this study is to experimentally clarify the effects of sub-millimeter-bubble injection on the laminar natural convection of water along a heated vertical plate. The use of thermocouples and a particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique are applied to temperature and velocity measurements, respectively. The temperature measurement shows that the ratio of the heat transfer coefficient with sub-millimeter-bubble injection to that without injection increases with an increase in the bubble flow rate or a decrease in the wall heat flux and that the ratio ranges from 1.35 to 1.85. Moreover, it is concluded from simultaneous measurement of temperature and velocity that the heat transfer enhancement is directly affected by flow modification due to bubbles rising near the heated vertical plate.     

Mixed convection boundary layer flow on a continuous flat plate with variable viscosity

The influences of variable viscosity and buoyancy force on laminar boundary layer flow and heat transfer due to a continuous flat plate are examined. The deviation of the velocity and temperature fields as well as of the skin friction and heat transfer results from their constant values are determined by means of similarity solutions.     

Effects of bubble size on heat transfer enhancement by sub-millimeter bubbles for laminar natural convection along a vertical plate

Injection of sub-millimeter bubbles is considered a promising technique for enhancing natural convection heat transfer for liquids. So far, we have experimentally investigated heat transfer characteristics of laminar natural convection flows with sub-millimeter bubbles. However, the effects of the bubble size on the heat transfer have not yet been understood. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effects of the bubble size on the heat transfer enhancement for the laminar natural convection of water along a vertical heated plate with uniform heat flux. Temperature and velocity measurements, in which thermocouples and a particle tracking velocimetry technique are, respectively used, are conducted to investigate heat transfer and flow characteristics for different bubble sizes. Moreover, two-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to comprehensively understand the effects of bubble injection on the flow near the heated plate. The result shows that the ratio of the heat transfer coefficient with sub-millimeter-bubble injection to that without injection ranges from 1.3 to 2.2. The result also shows that for a constant bubble flow rate, the heat transfer coefficient ratio increases with a decrease in the mean bubble diameter. It is expected from our estimation based on both experimental data and simulation results that this increase results from an increase in the advection effect due to bubbles.     

3D numerical simulation on fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics in multistage heat exchanger with slit fins

In this paper, a numerical investigation is performed for three-stage heat exchangers with plain plate fins and slit fins respectively, with a three-dimensional laminar conjugated model. The tubes are arranged in a staggered way, and heat conduction in fins is considered. In order to save the computer resource and speed up the numerical simulation, the numerical modeling is carried out stage by stage. In order to avoid the large pressure drop penalty in enhancing heat transfer, a slit fin is presented with the strip arrangement of “front coarse and rear dense” along the flow direction. The numerical simulation shows that, compared to the plain plate fin heat exchanger, the increase in the heat transfer in the slit fin heat exchanger is higher than that of the pressure drop, which proves the excellent performance of this slit fin. The fluid flow and heat transfer performance along the stages is also provided.     

Transitional boundary layer flow and heat transfer over blocked surfaces with influence of free stream velocity and block height

Velocity, turbulent intensity, static pressure and temperature measurements over the flat plate and blocked surfaces were investigated in a low speed wind tunnel in the presence of free stream velocity and block height. The experiments were carried out for free stream velocities of 5, 7 and 10 m/s encompassing the transitional region and for block heights of 10, 15 and 20 mm forming the different flow samples. A constant-temperature anemometer, a micro-manometer and copper-constant thermocouples were used for measurements of velocity and turbulent intensity, static pressure and temperature, respectively. The results showed that the flow separations and reattachments occurred on the blocked surfaces which enhanced the average heat transfer up to 1.54, 1.71 and 1.84 fold of the flat plate value at 5 m/s for the rising block height, 1.49, 1.68 and 1.80 at 7 m/s, and 1.44, 1.63 and 1.78 at 10 m/s, respectively.     

Heat/Mass transfer in a two-pass rotating rectangular duct with and without 70°-angled ribs

The present study investigates convective heat/mass transfer and flow characteristics inside a cooling passage of rotating gas-turbine blades. The rotating duct with and without rib turbulators are used. The ribs of 70° attack angle are attached on leading and trailing surfaces in a staggered arrangement. A naphthalene sublimation technique is employed to determine detailed local heat transfer coefficients using the heat and mass transfer analogy. Additional numerical calculations are conducted to analyze the flow patterns in the cooling. The local heat/mass transfer and the flow pattern in the passage are changed significantly according to rib configurations, duct turning geometry and duct rotation speed. The results show that the duct rotation generates the heat transfer discrepancy between the leading and trailing walls due to the secondary flows induced by the Coriolis force. The heat/mass transfer on the ribbed duct shows 80% higher than the smooth duct because the ribs attached on the walls disturb the mainflow resulting in recirculation and secondary flows near the rib with the secondary flow generated by rotation. The overall heat transfer pattern on the leading and trailing walls for the first and second passes depend on the rotating speed and the turning geometry, but the local heat transfer trend is affected mainly by the rib arrangeements.     

Thermal performance of an integrated collector storage solar water heater (ICSSWH) with a storage tank equipped with radial fins of rectangular profile

The thermal behavior of an integrated collector storage solar water heater (ICSSWH) is numerically studied using the package Fluent 6.3. Based on the good agreement between the numerical results and the experimental data of Chaouachi and Gabsi (Renew Energy Revue 9(2):75–82, 2006), an attempt to improve this solar system operating was made by equipping the storage tank with radial fins of rectangular profile. A second 3D CFD model was developed and a series of numerical simulations were conducted for various SWH designs which differ in the depth of this extended surface for heat exchange. As the modified surface presents a higher characteristic length for convective heat transfer from the storage tank to the water, the fins equipped storage tank based SWH is determined to have a higher water temperature and a reduced thermal losses coefficient during the day-time period. Regarding the night operating of this water heater, the results suggest that the modified system presents higher thermal losses.     

Analysis of a laminar boundary layer flow over a flat plate with injection or suction

An analysis is performed to study a laminar boundary layer flow over a porous flat plate with injection or suction imposed at the wall. The basic equations of this problem are reduced to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by means of appropriate transformations. These equations are solved analytically by the optimal homotopy asymptotic method (OHAM), and the solutions are compared with the numerical solution (NS). The effect of uniform suction/injection on the heat transfer and velocity profile is discussed. A constant surface temperature in thermal boundary conditions is used for the horizontal flat plate.     

Effect of suction upon unsteady laminar free convection flow on a vertical infinite flat plate

Summary Unsteady laminar free convection flow past a vertical infinite flat plate subjected to suction is considered. Exact solutions of momentum and energy equations are obtained in two cases: (1) When the plate temperature is proportional to some power of time and (2) when the heat flux at the plate is proportional to some power of time. It is assumed that the suction velocity varies as (time)^–1/2. Expressions for the temperature and velocity profiles are obtained in closed forms in both the cases. Effect of suction on velocity, temperature, skin friction and rate of head transfer is studied for Prandtl numbers 0.02, 0.1, 0.72, 1 and 10.     

An experimental investigation of heat transfer and flow friction characteristics of louvered fin surfaces by the modified single blow technique

This paper describes the development of an experimental facility to determine the heat transfer and flow friction characteristics of heat exchange surfaces by the modified single blow technique and the application of this transient technique to evaluate the performance characteristics of louvered fin heat exchangers. The reliability of implementing the modified single blow technique on the developed test facility is borne out by the good agreement in the heat transfer and flow friction data for the parallel plate test core when compared with theoretical and empirical correlations available in the literature. Performance evaluation of two louvered fin surfaces used mainly for cooling of large land and marine based electrical power generator sets is carried out and compared with similar louvered fin surfaces available in the literature. On the basis of dimensionless area and power factors, it was found that the flat fin is slightly superior in overall performance than its corrugated counterpart for low Reynolds numbers. Both surfaces are however inferior in performance when compared with the flat fin surface of Achaichia and Cowell and the corrugated fin surface of Davenport. Use of the j/f ratio as an approximate figure of merit led to an inaccurate assessment of the performance of the louvered fin heat exchanger surfaces evaluated in this study. Received on 8 May 1998     

Unsteady flow with heat and mass transfer due to impingement of slot jet on an inclined plate

The unsteady laminar incompressible boundary layer flow due to a two-dimensional slot jet on a flat plate at an angle of attack has been studied. The unsteadiness in the flow field is due to the free stream velocity distribution or wall temperature (concentration) which varies with time. The governing partial differential equations in primitive variables have been solved numerically using an implicit finite-difference scheme in combination with the quasilinearization technique. The effect of the variation of the free stream velocity distribution with time is found to be more pronounced on the skin friction than on the heat or mass transfer. The Prandtl number and the variation of the wall temperature with time strongly affect the heat transfer. Similarly, the Schmidt number and the variation of the concentration at the wall with time strongly affect the mass transfer. Beyond a certain critical value of the viscous dissipation parameter, the plate gets heated instead of being cooled.     

Radiative and convective heat transfer in a plane layer of absorbent curtain

An examination is made of the thermal state of a plane layer of gray gas injected into a turbulent stream of high temperature gas flowing over a permeable flat plate.Similarity-type formulations of problems are encountered both in examination of flow near a stagnation point, and also in analysis of the lifting of the boundary layer by intense injection through a porous plate [1]. The examination described relates to the following idealized formulation of the problem (Fig. la).In a plane layer of gray absorbing medium, formed by plane-parallel diffusely radiating surfaces (1-porous plate; 2-boundary of high temperature turbulent gas stream), heat transfer is accomplished by radiation and convection of the layer normal to the surfaces and by molecular heat conduction. All the physical and optical properties of the medium and of the boundary surfaces are assumed to be constant, independent of temperature.The temperature of the wetted surface of the specimen and also that of the fictitious surface determining the upper bound of the lift-off region, are given.Also assumed given is the velocity of the injected medium, which is constant throughout the entire lift-off layer. This idealization appreciably facilitates our examination without in principle changing its features.A very simplified examination of this problem was given in [2]. The special case of a medium with low optical thickness was examined in [3,4].The problem was examined in [5] under the assumption that molecular heat conduction in the medium is negligibly small.In the formulation considered the generalized energy equation has the form     

The pressure drop characteristics of air–water bubbling flow for evaporative heat transfer

This paper presents a study on a novel water bubbling layer pressure drop and heat transfer experiment that was conducted to investigate the characteristics of pressure drop of air flow across the water bubbling layer. The attempt was to reduce the pressure drop while maintaining a higher value of the heat transfer coefficient. This type of heat transfer between water and merged tubes has potential application in evaporative cooling. To achieve the goal the pressure drop should be reduced by decreasing the bubble layer thickness through the water pump circulation. Pressure drops of air passing through the perforated plate and the water bubbling layer were measured for different heights of water bubbling layer, hole-plate area ratio of the perforated plate and the air velocity through the holes. Experimental data show that the increase of water bubbling layer height and air velocity both increase the pressure drop while the effect of the hole-plate area ratio of the perforated plate on the heat transfer coefficient is relatively complex. The measurements showed that even at a considerably lower height of water bubbling layer the heat transfer coefficient can exceed 5,000 W/m²-K. The heat transfer coefficients of 30 mm high water bubbling layer are higher than that of other higher water bubbling layers tested in the experiments     

Flow statistics in plate and shell heat exchangers measured with PTV

Particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) measurements have provided inner flow features within plate and shell heat exchangers (PSHE). Measurements have been performed at Reynolds number 3450, based on the bulk velocity and the PSHE geometry at the channel mid-section. Particle trajectories have been measured. Organized flow features prevail in the channel inlet, whereas a highly turbulent flow field occurs at the channel outlet. A recirculation zone characterizes the turbulent flow field at the outlet. Gravity has been shown not to affect flow and heat transfer at this Reynolds number. The mean velocity profile is non-uniform at a given channel cross section. Friction factors developed for Plate Heat Exchanger (PHE) applied to the PSHE geometry with the bulk velocity at the channel mid-plane were found appropriate for design purposes. Furthermore, friction factor, Nusselt number and forces due to shear stresses were locally estimated for the whole channel area. Potential break-down locations have been identified.     

Heat transfer promotion with a cylinder array located near the wall

Heat transfer from a flat plate has been investigated when a cylinder array is located near the wall. Each cylinder in the cylinder array was positioned normal to the flow direction and parallel to the flat plate surface. Measurements of the heat transfer coefficient and the optimum value for the cylinder pitch and spacing between the cylinders and the flat plate surface were obtained. A comparison of the heat transfer mechanism in this flow system with that obtained previously for the case when a single cylinder is inserted in the boundary layer was made.     

Turbulent heat transfer in a flat plate boundary layer disturbed by a cylinder

Augmentation of heat transfer from a flat plate using a turbulence promoter has been studied. A circular cylinder 8 mm in diameter was placed in the turbulent boundary layer detached from the flat plate. It was located parallel to the plate and perpendicular to the flow direction. Clearance, c, between the cylinder and the flat plate was varied in nine steps: c=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 20 and 29.5 mm. Measurements were made of the local heat transfer coefficients, mean velocity profiles, turbulence intensity profiles, static pressure and skin friction. Experimental results showed that the heat transfer deterioration which occurs just downstream of the cylinder at c=0 mm can be removed by displacing the cylinder a small distance from the wall. The improvement in heat transfer is mainly due to the unsteadiness of the recirculating flow on the plate and the effect of intense turbulence arriving at the near wall region from the lower shear layer of the cylinder wake. Heat transfer augmentation is most effective when c=4 mm and becomes less effective when c is increased more than 6 mm. The enhancement disappears far downstream from the cylinder.